Alig Tannery, Kanpur India

If you've ever been to Jajmau, you know how it is. It's the hub for all things leather in Kanpur. Our place, Alig Tannery, is located at 126 Iqbal Street. It’s a busy lane, especially during the day when everyone is moving goods around. The street is narrow and you have to be careful not to get stuck behind a cart. Our gate at 126 is usually open from early morning. It’s a tannery, so there is water and hides and the usual smells you expect in this part of town. It’s hard work and it gets quite hot in the summer. We don’t have fancy air conditioning in the main area, just some big fans. The guys have been working here for years. We know the process inside out, but we don't make a big deal about it. It’s just what we do. The office is a small room near the entrance where we keep the ledger and take calls. Sometimes the power goes out and we just wait it out or use the generator if we really have to. Iqbal Street has its own rhythm. You get used to the noise and the constant movement. We aren't trying to be the biggest or anything, we just want to get the tanning done right and get the batches out to the customers who need them. It's a lot of manual work and we stay until the job is done.